1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates in general to shoe sizing. More specifically, but without restriction to the particular use which is shown and described, this invention relates to quantifying the interior dimensions and fit of a shoe.
2. Description of the Related Art
During the development and manufacturing of shoes, various production errors occur which result in shoes having inconsistent sizes and fits. Currently, for example, stick length inconsistencies are encountered during production. The stick length of a shoe is the internal linear measurement from the center of the heel to the center of the toe. It is common for shoe manufacturers to encounter large length inconsistencies for a given style and size shoe. These production errors are inherent in the way shoes are currently made.
Other errors inherent in shoe manufacturing arise from changes made to a shoe design during development and commercialization. For example, a shoe may be tested early in its design cycle and, using traditional fit testing methods, be found to fit well. As the design evolves, however, the elements of the shoe fit can be affected. Due to the pace of commercialization and the time consuming nature of traditional fit testing methods, the final shoe design may have different and unknown fit characteristics.
The present invention overcomes these problems by allowing shoe designers and developers to track the fit of a shoe during the design, development and production of the shoe. Changes in the internal dimensions of a shoe will alert the designer, developer and the factory to materials, process, or pattern discrepancies. These discrepancies, potentially cumulative, that are often found in the development and manufacture of shoes can be reduced if not eliminated by the present invention.